


someday, i won't have to wait for you (the PANIC! remix)

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Andrew Minyard Doesn't Play Exy, Gay Disaster Andrew Minyard, Jock Neil Josten, M/M, Tutor Andrew Minyard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-12-27 07:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21115091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: The door opened on the dot of 10:00 and whatever smart remark was on the tip of Andrew’s tongue flew completely out of his brain.  He was in trouble.  This Neil was gorgeous and Andrew was definitely too gay to handle it.  His hair was bright red and in tousled curls like he didn’t care what they looked like.  His eyes were bright blue and piercing and even the extensive scarring on both cheeks only added to the intrigue of his face.  Andrew had never been so grateful that his outward reaction to gay panic was a face set in stone.Neil is failing English and needs Andrew to tutor him.  Andrew is way too gay for this s**t.





	someday, i won't have to wait for you (the PANIC! remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paleromantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleromantic/gifts).
  * Inspired by [someday, i won't have to wait for you.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16590140) by [paleromantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleromantic/pseuds/paleromantic). 

Aaron  
  
I have a favor to ask you  
  
why  
  
why what? why do i have a favor?  
  
why d you think id do something for you  
  
there's this guy on my team  
  
no  
  
i didn't even ask you yet?  
  
  
look he's failing eng lit and if he does he cant play  
  
please andrew  
  
don't use that word  
  
but will you do it?  
  
ill meet him but no promises  
  


Andrew tossed his phone down on the bed. His phone buzzed a few more times before it went silent but Aaron had basically used up a whole evening’s worth of brotherly interaction in one conversation so he could wait until Andrew had a chance to recharge.

* * *

Aaron's bf  
  
Is this Andrew Minyard? Aaron gave me your number and said you'd tutor me. 10 am Sat. Study room 3 ...Okay. Nice to meet you too

Andrew glared down at the phone, already regretting giving in to his brother. He wished his heart would figure out that his brain didn’t give a shit about Aaron’s problems.

Aaron  
  
you owe me  
  
for what? so you don't want me to tutor your boyfriend? I don't want you to tutor my boyfriend. I want you to tutor Neil like i said you owe me ...fine. but you have to give it a good try. hes not the most punctual person so don't just leave if hes late. good idea

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, Andrew was kicking himself. The last thing he wanted to do was get roped into an acquaintanceship with one of Aaron’s preppy friends. They had a bad habit of thinking they could socialize with him and often drove him to violence.

He settled down at the table with his phone and his German mocha with extra whipped cream, extra chocolate sauce, and extra chocolate shavings, and he hoped for at least ten minutes of silence and peace. It was 9:58.

The door opened on the dot of 10:00 and whatever smart remark was on the tip of Andrew’s tongue flew completely out of his brain. He was in trouble. This Neil was gorgeous and Andrew was definitely too gay to handle it. His hair was bright red and in tousled curls like he didn’t care what they looked like. His eyes were bright blue and piercing and even the extensive scarring on both cheeks only added to the intrigue of his face. Andrew had never been so grateful that his outward reaction to gay panic was a face set in stone. He didn’t think Neil noticed that it took him a few seconds to compose himself enough to speak.

“Punctual? Aaron warned me that you mightn’t be,” Andrew said, feeling proud that he managed to avoid any trace of emotion in his voice.

Neil flushed a little, the pink of his cheeks clashing horribly with his hair. “Honestly, probably dumb luck.”

Andrew had to stop looking at him. He busied himself for a moment hunting for the right book in his backpack before basically tossing it at Neil. “Come on, I don’t have all day. Let’s get this over with.”

Neil settled in, taking his jacket off and draping it over the back of the chair. Andrew was 100% not looking at the narrow strip of tanned skin between Neil’s jeans and his t-shirt where it rode up when he removed his jacket. Neil flushed and tugged his shirt down over his hips but not before Andrew caught a glimpse of yet another scar.

Neil looked at the book in disgust, nose wrinkling. “Do I have to read this whole thing?”

“Look, I didn’t want to read this testosterone soaked ode to straight male fragility either, but here we are. I should make you read it but lucky for you, this is my copy and I’ve highlighted the so called ‘important bits.’” Andrew picked it and flipped through quickly, showing Neil the series of notes and flags throughout the book.

Neil smiled brightly and reached for the book, carefully avoiding touching Andrew. And that was...interesting. “You’re a lifesaver. Thanks so…”

“I never said I was going to help you. My fucking twin doesn’t speak for me,” Andrew said, studiously not looking at Neil’s face.

“But you said…” Neil protested.

“I said I would meet you. And now I have. Not my fault you aren’t interesting enough to warrant a continuation of this arrangement.” Andrew stood and started to pack up his bag. 

“But the team…” Neil started.

“My heart, it bleeds for you,” Andrew said. “Not my fault you’re going to fail your course and have to quit playing fucking Exy.”

“Wow, Aaron said you were an asshole,” Neil grumbled. “But I really do need the help.”

“I need a bottle of whiskey and a Lamborghini.” Andrew shrugged. “We don’t always get what we want.”

“I’m not going to buy you a fucking sports car but I will buy you your body weight in whiskey if you just help me pass this class,” Neil said, leaning forward over the table with this weird glint in his eye, like he was seeing past Andrew’s calm, cool exterior to the disaster gay that was currently running through his brain in a panic.

“What if I help you and you still fail?” Andrew asked, cursing himself for not running when he had the chance.

Neil sucked his full bottom lip in between his teeth, chewing on it lightly as he thought. “Then you try out for the Exy team.”

“Not a fucking chance,” Andrew growled, grabbing his jacket and preparing to leave.

“I didn’t take you for a coward,” Neil said, something dangerous in his smile, the challenge in his eyes singing in Andrew’s blood.

Andrew couldn’t speak for what felt like an hour but Neil waited, proud and fierce and beautiful, and Andrew hated him with every fiber of his being. “Fucking fine, you junkie,” he finally managed to force out.

Neil grinned like he had just won a prize. “I believe we have a deal, Mr Minyard. Shall we get started on these notes?”

Andrew had the overwhelming urge to throw Neil into a wall, whether to kiss him or to kill him was still up for debate. He grabbed the book and flipped to the first highlighted section. “Open your fucking notebook.”

* * *

Aaron  
  
u like him, don't u  
  
you take that back  
  
Andrew  
  
aaron  
  
you can't hook up with him he's my friend and hes on my ducking team  
  
don't you dare break him we need him for the final  
  


* * *

Tutoring Neil was surprisingly less than awful. He didn’t chatter on about nothing like so many of the other guys Andrew had met through his brother. He still had nightmares about the last time that he had been trapped in a room with his cousin Nicky and Matt Boyd at the same time.

Neil asked questions in as few words as possible, listened carefully to Andrew’s answers, and then focussed on his work until he needed to ask another question. Plus, he had the tendency to buy large coffees and then abandon them after a few sips. Andrew had taken to carrying extra packets of sugar on his person when he was meant to be meeting Neil so that he could doctor it to his liking. 

They had been settling into this new arrangement for a few weeks now and Andrew was horrified to admit to himself that he was beginning to look forward to their study sessions.

They were sitting in Andrew’s favourite place in the library. There was an alcove set in the wall next to floor-to-ceiling windows. It was the one place in the library where the comfy chairs were not out in the open. There were two overstuffed armchairs and Andrew was not going to let his brain comment on the way Neil had curled himself up in his chair. It did not matter to him in the slightest just how flexible Neil was. 

Andrew looked down at the book in his hands. He had kept flipping pages after his mind had started wandering and he had no clue what was going on. He sighed, looked up, and caught Neil looking at him, just for an instant before dropping his eyes back to his work.

Neil paused and stretched. Andrew’s mouth went dry as the sun turned Neil’s hair to flame. Never had he been so thankful that the other man was apparently completely oblivious.

“There, done,” Neil said. “If I send it to you, can you edit it while I work on the citations?”

Andrew nodded and pulled out his laptop. He opened the file and settled in to read. “That last source is a good one but you need a little more textual support. You need to explain the quote a little better to integrate it more solidly into your argument.” He made a few comments but his screen started flashing low battery and he’d left his power cord at home, so he shut it down and started to pack it away.

“Thanks, Andrew.” Neil sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he focussed back on his paper. “Hey, am I doing this works cited page correctly? I feel like I get dinged every single paper and I have no idea what I’m doing wrong.”

Andrew came over behind Neil’s chair and bent over to look at the screen. Neil shivered a little and Andrew moved back.

“Well, why the fuck are you using Chicago? I know for certain that Heughe uses MLA,” Andrew says.

“Wait, what?” Neil asked. “I just looked up works cited. Are you trying to tell me there are different methods?”

Andrew closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “I’m beginning to see why you’re failing. Of course there are different methods. And I guarantee that Heughe mentioned it in the syllabus.”

“People read those?” Neil asked, turning to look up at Andrew, their faces in such close proximity that neither of them would have to move more than an inch and they would be kissing. Andrew didn’t move.

Neil’s eyes flitted down to Andrew’s mouth and back up but he didn’t move either.

“Yes, Neil, that’s why the teachers hand them out: not for shits and giggles, not to be mean, but because they contain important information to help you pass the fucking course,” Andrew said.

“Smartass.” Neil stood up and finally put some distance between them. “I can’t look at this anymore today. Want to get coffee before we leave?”

Andrew shrugged and went to finish packing his stuff. They walked to their usual coffee shop. It was in the same building as the library and the only one that stocked his favourite caramel syrup. He ordered his usual caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream and caramel sauce while Neil stuck with his usual unsweetened cappuccino.

Neil was fidgeting. It wasn’t so unusual. The boy was a jock and had that high energy, low situational awareness thing that plagued all the athletes he had ever met. What was unusual was the red colour staining Neil’s cheeks, the way he was worrying his lower lip with his teeth, and the way he kept stealing glances at Andrew when he thought he wasn’t looking.

“Spit it out, Josten, I don’t have all day,” Andrew said. He took a big gulp of his drink and regretted it immediately when he heard Neil’s next words.

“Would you want to go out sometime?”

Andrew choked on whipped cream and cringed at the look that must be on his face right now. “Like on a date?” he asked hoarsely.

“No, on a killing spree? Of course I meant a date,” Neil said, insufferable smirk back on his face because sarcasm was his comfort zone, and he seemed to think by his reaction that Andrew would say yes.

“Ask me again after your exams.” Andrew schooled his face back into its impassive mask.

Neil’s face crumpled in confusion. “What? Why?”

“Sure, I single handedly saved your scholarship, but you bought me whiskey for that. You don’t have to date me too,” Andrew scoffed.

“That’s not what I…” Neil started but Andrew cut him off with a finger on those oh-so-distracting lips.

“After exams, Neil,” Andrew promised.

Neil opened his mouth to argue but an agitated freshman in need of a coffee fix pushed between them to get to the counter and the moment was broken.

Andrew raised his coffee cup in salute and made as if to leave.

“Andrew, I like…” 

Andrew slapped his palm over Neil’s mouth, choking off what sounded suspiciously like a confession. “You’re going to be late for practice. Don’t forget to look up MLA and reformat your sources.” He waited until Neil nodded before removing his hand and then left before Neil could say anything else that Andrew wasn’t ready to hear.

The moment Neil was out of sight, he pulled out his phone and texted Renee. They hadn’t planned to spar today but he could feel a humming under his skin and he needed to hit something.

Renee met him at the gym and thankfully didn’t say anything, just took her stance and waited for him to attack.

Half an hour later, they were breathing hard and the throbbing of mild bruises and hard worked muscles grounded him in the present.

“So, are you going to tell me what this is about?” Renee asked once she saw that he was inhabiting his body fully again.

“Fuck,” he said. “I really like Neil.”

“As you’ve mentioned every sparring session we’ve had in the last couple of weeks. Why are you freaking out so much about it right now?” Renee teased gently.

“He likes me too. He asked me out. Stop laughing!” Andrew groaned.

“I still fail to see why this is a problem requiring punching,” Renee said. 

“Because I said no,” Andrew admitted. “Or at least not yet. I told him to wait until after his exams. What if he just wants to date me because I helped him with his homework?”

“Don’t you think he would have just bought you more whiskey?” Renee asked. “It’s not impossible for someone to like you for who you are.”

“You take that back.” Andrew tried to glare at her but he could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Someone needs to tell you when you’re being an idiot. Go on a date with the cute Exy star with the hair like flames and the distracting mouth and the thighs that can crush your…”

“Stop it. You are the worst and I hate that I have ever told you a single thing about Neil.” Andrew could feel his face flushing bright red.

“Oh come on, you love me. I’m your best friend. You don’t know what you would do without me,” Renee said.

“I guess…” Andrew rolled his eyes. She socked him hard in the arm, right over one of his new bruises. “Fine! I love you. You are the best person in my life and I would be sad if you died.”

“That’s better,” Renee laughed. She wound her arm through his and turned them both toward the doorway. “Let’s go have cake and you can tell me every detail.”

Andrew sighed and pretended to be sad but he felt better already.

* * *

By the time Neil’s exam day rolled around, Andrew was a mess. He had considered talking to Neil and accepting the offer of a date but he knew Neil really did need to study for this exam. And if Neil regretted what he had said, if he had changed his mind, they could go back to what they were before: nothing.

He was sitting on his couch, trying to focus on a book and smoking nervously, when the buzzer sounded. He waited a minute, trying not to seem too eager. It seems like the person on the other end had no such qualms because the buzzer sounded again.

“What do you want?” Andrew pressed the intercom button and spoke.

“Andrew, it’s me, let me up.”

“Shouldn’t you be writing an exam right now?” Andrew asked.

“I’m finished. And I came straight here,” Neil said.

Andrew pressed the buzzer and took a couple deep breaths. He waited to the count of five before opening the door to Neil’s knock, trying not to appear too eager.

“I got you coffee,” Neil said, holding out a cup, face flushing red like he had just run up several flights of stairs.

Andrew took the cup from Neil and sipped carefully. It was perfect, exactly the way he liked it. “Do you need something?”

“Can I come in?” Neil asked.

Andrew stepped aside and let Neil walk past him. He set his coffee down on the table and picked up his cigarette from the ashtray, taking a long drag to disguise his nerves.

“You know, smoking inside isn’t allowed,” Neil said, grinning at him.

Andrew gestured to the plastic bag covering the smoke detector. “I’m not an idiot,” he said.

“You will be if this apartment building burns down with you in it because you haven’t heard of opening windows,” Neil teased.

Andrew stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and ripped down the plastic bag. “Happy?” 

“Ecstatic,” Neil said, moving to take a seat on the couch.

Andrew paced around the room, nervously straightening his bookshelf and carefully not looking at Neil. Neil said nothing and Andrew realized he was waiting for him to sit down.

“My exams went well. I won’t know the results for another week but I feel pretty confident. Your Exy career is safe,” Neil said.

“Non-existent, you mean,” Andrew retorted, rolling his eyes.

Neil smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “We’ll get you playing one day.”

“Good luck with that,” Andrew said. “But I’m assuming you’re not here for small talk.”

“You said I needed to wait until after my exams to ask you again. Did I need to make an appointment?” Neil asked.

Renee had told him Neil was sincere but until this moment, he hadn’t truly believed it. “You actually want to go out with me?”

“Yes, I have for weeks now. Is that a yes?” Neil asked, his blue, blue eyes boring into Andrew’s.

Andrew took a sip of his drink so he could look away. “Yes, but only if there is cake.”

“I promise there will be cake,” Neil said, mouth smiling softly.

Andrew sighed and pulled out his phone.

Renee  
  
you were right  
  
fuck yes $300 payday  
  
ill tell Aaron hes the only other person who bet on you 2  
  


“Renee and Aaron just won three hundred dollars,” Andrew said, starting to smile almost without realizing it.

“The other were stupid enough to bet against them. They deserve it.” Neil laughed again.

Andrew let himself watch how it transformed his face. “Full of yourself, aren’t you?”

Neil looked at him, smile dimming for just a moment but he must be getting better at interpreting Andrew’s expressions. “You like it.”

Andrew couldn’t argue with that.


End file.
